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Pizza (Overnight dough)

If I had to eat only one thing every day for the rest of my life, it would be pizza. Of course, I would have to have access to a variety of vegetables, cheeses, meats, sauces, herbs, and this overnight pizza dough!
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

Pizza Dough

  • ¾ tsp fast-rising yeast
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • cups warm water not hot
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour or doppio zero double zero

Pizza Sauce

  • 1 cup pureed or crushed canned unsalted San Marzano tomatoes (or canned Italian plum tomatoes)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Toppings

  • sauted mushrooms
  • thinly sliced red onions
  • thinly sliced prosciutto
  • fresh basil leaves
  • grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions
 

  • Prepare a large flat-bottom container, about 12"X6", by brushing the bottom and sides with a little olive oil. Otherwise, you could use 4 small containers. Set aside.
  • Add the flour to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the yeast.
  • In a measuring cup, measure the water. Stir in the sugar, salt, and oil. Add to the flour mixture.
  • Mix on low speed until the dough forms a small ball that pulls away from the sides. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky. Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.
  • Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured board. Divide it into 4 equal portions. Using your hands cupped over the dough, roll the dough balls, one at a time, until the surface becomes smooth.
  • Lay each ball in the container about 4" apart to give them room to rise. Cover the dough balls with a lid or plastic wrap. Then place in the refrigerator.
  • Store the dough balls in the regrigerator for at least 24 hours and up to 4 days.

Oven Method Using Pizza Pan:

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F for at least 45 minutes before you are ready to bake the pizza.
  • Place a dough ball on a pizza pan and use your fingers to gently spread it out evenly to form a 10-inch circle.
  • Spread the pizza sauce, leaving a border. Sprinkle with the cheese, then the rest of the toppings.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes in the oven. You may wish to remove the pan and leave the pizza on the rack for the last few minutes. Use the broil feature for the last minute, if you prefer.

Oven Method Using Baking Steel or Pizza Stone

  • Follow the directions of your baking steel or pizza stone. Generally, the instructions include placing your baking steel or pizza stone on the upper half in a cold oven and heat to 425°F - 500°F for at least 45 minutes. Use convection bake if you have it.
  • Cut a piece of parchment paper larger than what your pizza size will be. Lay it on a pizza peel or a rimless cookie sheet or a rimmed cookie sheet flipped upside down. Set aside.
  • Place a dough ball on a lightly floured counter and use your fingers to gently spread it out just a little. Then carefully transfer the dough to the parchment paper and continue to spread it out to form a 10-inch circle.
  • Spread the pizza sauce, leaving a border. Sprinkle with the cheese, then the rest of the toppings.
  • Then, pull the oven rack with the pizza steel or stone out slightly and slide the parchment paper with the pizza on top onto the steel or stone. You may need to adjust the placement of the pizza using the parchment paper. Do not burn yourself. Bake for about 8 minutes. Then turn the oven on to broil and broil for a minute or two, checking often. Remove from the oven and slice into pieces.

BBQ Grilling Method

  • Ensure that the BBQ grates are clean. Preheat the BBQ for 500°F or higher. It should heat for at least 20 minutes at that temperature.
  • Cut a piece of parchment paper larger in wide strips (12"X 8"). Lay it on a pizza peel or a rimless cookie sheet or a rimmed cookie sheet flipped upside down. Brush it with olive oil. Set aside. Place a dough ball directly on the parchment paper strip. Use your finger to spread it to form a 10" slab. Do not add the toppings yet.
  • Then, open the BBQ lid and flip the pizza slab right onto the grate, leaving the parchment paper attached to the upper surface. Close the lid. After a minute or two, open the lid and remove the paper. Check the bottom of the dough as it should have nice char marks.
  • Flip over the slab and close the lid. After a minute or two, open the lid and dress the pizza. Reduce the heat and close the lid to continue grilling for a few minutes. If you are grilling more than one pizza at a time, work quickly, closing the lid as quickly as possible. Remove from the BBQ and slice into pieces.

Notes

Why limit the toppings? Be creative and find your favourite combination.  Here are a few suggestions:
Garlic oil, roasted eggplants and zucchini, ricotta
Olive oil, mozzarella, fresh tomato slices
Olive oil, mozzarella di bufala slices, pancetta, grilled onions, yellow cherry tomato slices
Olive oil (no pizza sauce), thinly sliced apple, thinly sliced red onion, goat cheese, sauteed onions, fig jam (added after the pizza is removed from the oven).
Pesto sauce, freshly sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella slices, fresh basil
Keyword dough, grilled, pizza, yeast